Memories of You and Me
by Dark-Illusion-Detective
Summary: It's Christmas, a time of joy and happiness. When Shadow feels down on this day, he seeks to be happy. What is it though that makes him truly happy?


**Memories of You and Me**

Hey guys! I just saw the most amazing picture of Shadow and a snowflake ever and it inspired me to write this! So I present my story.

Disclaimer: Dark-Illusion-Detective doesn't own any of the Sonic Characters nor does she own Sega.

Here it is!!

* * *

Winter; when anyone thinks about the white stuff that falls from the sky, it seems magical... I've heard of strange things happening on Christmas or on New Years' Day, but I never bothered with those tales. To me they were false, wrong in every sense of the matter. It wasn't until that night after a Christmas Party that things started to make a little more sense to me.

It was a few weeks ago when everyone was invited to Vanilla and Cream's home to take part in a Christmas Party. It seemed very strange that I wound up getting an invitation that night, that I was actually wanted in that small place. I shoved the invitation aside and laid on my bed with boredom; I didn't feel like going anywhere. I felt horrible, like someone just destroyed my emotions and left me with only sorrow, but the problem wasn't how I felt, it was why.

My sorrow moment passed when the phone rang, I picked it up and stared at the caller ID; Amy Rose. I put the phone back down, it was only a few more hours until the party so I bet she was checking to see if I was going to get out of my house and go to it.

_Ring... Ring... RING!!_

I had it! I picked up the phone and pushed the TALK button, "hello?"

"Shadow!"

The voice put me in slight confusion, it wasn't Amy Rose at all... it was Rouge. Instantly I couldn't help but smile, it'd been a while since I had seen her... or heard her sweet voice. Okay I admit it, I did have a crush on her, and it made my heart go into spasms when I heard her say my name again.

"Shadow?"

"I-I'm here," I quickly said, my face turning red with slight embarassment.

"That's good. Say are you going to the party?"

I had to think, did I want to go to a party where that Faker would be? Probably not, but if Rouge was going to be there, then what the heck? Maybe I could tell her how I felt about her, maybe she'd feel the same way.

"Probably, I'm not sure."

"I was wondering if you'd like a ride to there? Considering that this party is in Westopolis and you're all the way in Central City."

"No thanks. I'll get there on time."

"... Are you okay Shadow? You seem a bit down."

"I'm okay."

There was a long pause on the other end and I thought that she hung up on me, I wouldn't be surprised if she did. But then I heard her demand, "tell me what's wrong Shadow."

I sighed, there was no escaping a woman's curiosity.

"I don't know what's wrong. That's the thing. I just feel down."

"Then a party is just what you need. Now meet us at Vanilla's house and we'll get that bad mood to disappear."

I couldn't help but to smile at that, Rouge knew how to convince anyone to do whatever she wanted. I nodded and said, "okay. I'll see you guys there."

I hung the phone up and got off my bed, knowing that I had agreed to show up, and I couldn't delay if I was going on my motorcycle. My footsteps seemed to be a long forgotten melody as I kept walking down the long hallway.

_"Shadow..."_

Freezing up, I felt my heart race as though I had been running for over than an hour and had just finished fighting someone. I felt my red eyes look around but the only thing I saw in the darkness of my mind was one person. Blonde hair... blue eyes... Maria.

The phone rang again and I skated to my room and grabbed the phone.

"H-hello?!"

Oh chaos, I sounded like a freaking paranoid person. I guess the other person on the line thought so too... because for a moment there was no reply until a calm voice said, "deep breaths Emo."

"What do you want?" I asked angrily, it was Sonic. The idiot, the carefree idiot, the hero. Blah.

"Jeez, don't sound like you're about to unleash your fury on anyone or anything."

"What. Do. You. Want?"

"Wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch? I need your advice."

"... Is this still about the Amy thing?"

"... Wow, did you turn into a psychic or something?" questioned Sonic as I rolled my eyes.

For the past few months, Amy hadn't chased Sonic around and the blue hedgehog started to get nervous. Especially when she walked right past him as though Sonic was just a piece of floating dust. It was such a huge shock that he actually turned to _me_ for advice.

"If you want psychic, then go to Silver."

"Anyways, will you?"

Lets weigh this debate, going with Sonic for lunch, or getting pestered by my thoughts. On most days the second one would win, but maybe I did need the fresh air, to get away from my sadness for once. Who knows, maybe my nickname "emo" would go away if I showed I could be happy.

"Sure. Where to? Starlight Cafe?"

Sonic sounded like he was running as he was making this call, did he ever hear of no calling anyone while run-

"OW!" yelled Sonic over the other end.

"What happened?"

"Nothing..."

"You ran into a tree didn't you?" I asked with a smirk.

"NO!" there was silence until he added, "I ran into a telephone pole."

I chuckled, "nice."

"See ya!" Sonic quickly said as he hung up.

For a long moment I was stuck in freeze mode, where I couldn't move or think. The sound of the door knocking was the only thing I could hear... wait? The door?? I dropped the phone onto my bed and skated down to the front door and opened it.

"Hey Emo."

I growled as Sonic gave me a cocky smile; what was with him today? Did he _want_ to say hello to my chaos spears? I pushed the harmful thought away to the back of my mind as I said as calmly as I could, "hello Faker."

He frowned and it was my turn to smirk.

"Anyways, you said Starlight Cafe right?"

I nodded and he started to walk outside in the slush, in the icy chill. I shivered as I walked to my couch and picked up a scarf and ear muffs that I hadn't bothered to put away the night before. Almost as swiftly as I had left Sonic, I came back and trailed along side the blue hedgehog.

**--- A while later ---**

"... I can't believe I'm saying this but... thanks," Sonic told me as we walked down the snow covered sidewalk. I shrugged and he noticed that my mind was somewhere else, "um... Shadow?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you listening?"

I nodded absent mindedly and I knew this didn't convince him that I was. He put a hand on my shoulder and I flinched.

"Hold up a second."

"I'm okay," I heard myself whisper sadly. I waited for the joking voice that would call me Emo for being so sad on Christmas... but it never came.

"... If you say so," was what I heard instead.

This caught me off guard, but I let it pass; I guess it was time that we were nice to each other rather than horrible towards one another. For a moment, I wanted something different to happen. Something strange, something that even I'd be happy about. There was something missing to this day, but what the hell was it?!

"Shadow!"

I looked up from my shoes and realized there were car horns blaring at me; I was standing in the middle of the road as Sonic darted to me, and dragged me out of the road that was filling rapidly with loud shouts of words that I rather not repeat.

"Are you trying to become part of the road? Because you almost succeeded!"

"..."

I felt like a time bomb, ready to explode with my emotions flaring by now; it wasn't anger, nor was it pure sorrow... it was confusion. Sonic looked at me and he said, "uhm..."

"WHAT?!" I found myself shouting. Sonic backed away from me slightly and I sighed, "... sorry."

"What's with you? You've been out of it!"

I shrugged, "I... I don't know. I just had this feeling ever since I got up that something was missing."

Sonic tilted his head and an instant passed when I wondered if this was seriously a dream or not... I mean, on any other day we wouldn't even be talking so calmly to each other as though we were friends, no, I'd be fighting against or with him, but we really never talked. Suddenly Sonic nodded.

"Maria?"

I felt the sadness return and looked at my shoes, and I could feel Sonic's eyes on me. Sure, it'd been a long time since Maria's death, but it was so hard to move on without her, since after all she was my best friend... my only friend until Rouge and Amy and the others came along.

"Maybe you're missing Maria."

"Probably... what do I do?"

"Whoa! You're asking me for advice now?" he questioned with shock.

I looked up and rolled my eyes.

"I don't know... get flowers for her grave? Go to Vanilla's party? I don't know to be honest."

I sighed, of course. Nodding I turned away from him and waved, "later," I stated almost in a depressed tone as I walked away.

"DON'T KILL YOURSELF EMO!" I heard Sonic yell at me. Luckily I wasn't paying too close attention on what he said at the time and just kept walking.

The brilliant blue sky just turned darker and darker until I realized that it was night time. Shoot, I was late to the party. Oh well, it didn't matter, I wasn't that far away from Vanilla's house. Just spare me a few seconds and I'd be at the party in a heartbeat. The air around me got colder and colder until the point I could see my breath.

_"Shadow..."_

My eyes widened as I felt myself trip over something and I landed face first into a snowbank; just my luck. I got up slowly and shook the snow out of my spikes and looked around. That was Maria's voice, I knew that voice anywhere... but why was I hearing it?

_"Shadow..."_

"Maria? Maria! Where are you?!"

_"..."_

"Maria?" I asked quietly. If anyone had passed by me I probably would've looked like I belonged in the mental institute or someplace like that.

Shivering, I stood up from the sidewalk and I felt myself wanting to cry. There was no Maria, no, there would never be a Maria again. I sniffled and I kept walking toward where Vanilla's place was; I didn't see the point in staying out in the cold.

Under a street light I stopped and leaned against the cool metal, making me shiver even more. I wrapped my arms around myself and just watched the stars for a long while.

_"Shadow, what do you want for Christmas?"_

I suddenly understood why I kept hearing Maria's voice, why today felt like something was missing. It hit me just because of a flashback of when I was on the ARK with Maria...

_--- Flash Back ---_

_"Shadow, what do you want for Christmas?" Maria had asked me over fifty years ago. I looked at the large Christmas tree with interest and saw that Maria had opened all of her presents._

_"I don't need anything."_

_"Oh, but I feel so guilty for not getting you anything."_

_"It's okay Maria... did you like my gift?"_

_Maria's eyes lit up almost the moment I said 'my gift' and she showed me the scarf and she grinned. _

_"Of course Shadow, I love it!" she replied happily as she hugged me. I hugged her back like the good friend I was toward her. She then looked at me and asked, "when we get down to earth... do you think we'll be able to see snow?"_

_I nodded and smiled, "yes. What would you do if you saw snow fall?"_

_"Simple, I'd watch it."_

_"Watch... it? How come? Why not make a snow angel or start a snow ball fight?" I questioned as she giggled._

_"Snow is beautiful when it falls. It's just a nice thing to watch. Of course I'd start a snow ball fight or make snow angels, but after I'd see the snow fall."_

_"... You really like snow don't you?"_

_Maria nodded and I smiled as I promised, "when we do go down to earth, I'll watch the snow with you."_

_After that, we spent the rest of the night playing games and talking about snow..._

_--- End of Flash Back ---_

I felt my hand gently hold the scarf that was on my neck, Maria's scarf. I had found it on an adventure I had with Sonic once and I've kept it ever since. Something white, and cold touched my nose and I looked up to see that the snow was falling. I was about to keep walking to Vanilla's place but I reached for my cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Shadow?"

"Hey Rouge. I won't be able to make it."

"How come? Is everything okay? You sound like you're crying," she remarked as I was indeed crying over the sight of snow.

"Yeah... I'm okay. Tell everyone I'm sorry. I've got something else planned."

There was a pause before Rouge said, "alright Shadow. See you on New Years Day."

We both hung up and I took a seat against the street light post, and I watched the snow fall. Maria had been right after all...

... The snow really was beautiful as it fell...

**---**

**Okay strange ending, I know. But I got bored so I started to work on this and this is the result... Please tell me what you thought of it.**


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